


Past Ties and Future Holds

by FrejaUltor



Series: The Obsidian Chronicles [2]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Original Character-centric, Post-Tartaros Arc (Fairy Tail), sometimes you have to write the canon Mashima won't, to families old and new, whaddup im jared im 19 and i don't know how to write fight scenes, what would you do if you found a vampire in a ditch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-23 12:31:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18549826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrejaUltor/pseuds/FrejaUltor
Summary: The Vampire wakes, nearly drained, to the faces of old acquaintances, then continues the hunt for the one framing her with the help of a potential friend.





	Past Ties and Future Holds

                More often than not, Nina hated being asleep by herself.

                Anyone who attempted to disturb her or take her things would quickly learn that was the _wrong_ thing to do, so it wasn’t totally a security issue. There was a peace in cuddling with the members of her guild and a singularly occupied bed space made her miss it starkly. Before her guild, she had nestled under her mother’s wing where the even beat of her giant heart lulled Nina into the deepest sleep she could remember. Her oldest memories were of huddling with her brother—who had very sharp elbows—trying to conserve warmth.

                Dreams were the main agents of her insomnia. There wasn’t much she forgot and there was plenty she wished she could. The faces of victims usually greeted her as she awoke and watched her attempt to fall asleep, but their last words (or at least their voices), made it in the time between. Bodies were a common theme of her night terrors. The placement of these and the location were from memory, but the faces were never right. Where a drug dealer’s body had dropped, her friend wheezed; her brother lay in place of a rapist; so on and disgustingly so forth.

                Even these she could tolerate; everyone in her guild suffered similar.

                The worst were the regular shuteye stories her brain told. Many bizarre things had happened in her life which made her dreams even more ridiculous. Nobody ever really wants to hear about dreams others have had so she lived with the constant itch to tell someone these incredible scenarios her subconscious conjured for her.

                Tonight’s was an excellent example. It was about her second time meeting Oración Seis, with some twists. The Six Demons were much younger than they had been in reality while she towered over them. Jellal was there for some odd reason, also as a child. (She had only met him once when he had been part of the Council so she wasn’t sure how her brain made a baby version of him). There was someone else with the group whose voice tickled her memory but their face and form kept shifting.

                “What does a vampire dream about, anyway?” Angel asked in a voice much more mature than her body.

                Cobra shrugged beside her, little Cubelios wrapped around his neck, “About us, apparently.”

                “I’m right here, guys,” Nina commented with no reaction from the pair.

                As they are want to do, things only got stranger from there. She did her best to let the dream flow, hoping that if she stopped fighting, she could return to the comforting blackness. Instead, the weird ragtag gang stuck with her until she was thoroughly exhausted.

“I’m gonna need a nap after this,” her dream-self muttered. “I just want this to stop.”

                Midnight’s small face turned up to hers, “You could always wake up.”

                “What?” she replied before everything got very bright.

                Everything hurt. Muscles, joints, head, eyes; all sore. She was about to let out a long groan when she noticed something odd.

                This place was an awful lot softer than the one she remembered crashing on. Not only that, but she could sense several heartbeats around her; two being on either side of her. She was also blindfolded.

                Best to handle this carefully considering she'd used most of her magical energy.

                "Where am I?" her voice cracked and was more gravelly than she'd intended.

                "Oh! Miss Red, you're awake!"

                _That voice sounds..._ "Do I know you?"

                "You would remember my nickname 'Hoteye'. I go by my real name--Richard--now, as I've been shown the true path of love."

                Her head was screaming too much for her to make any sense of why she'd be running into Oración Seis again. _Did that moron try to bargain with the Six Demons just get away from me?_ _Great._  The gears started spinning along with her balance, and soon, her stomach. She repeated her first question.

                "We're in a field between towns," Hoteye informed her. We found you huddled up under a tree a while back and didn't want anyone to hurt you in your current state. The others didn't want the sounds of our camp to wake you so we put you here and the path of love would not have me leave you to rest alone. Midnight is here, too, on your left."

                The words floated through her ears but she resigned to process all of it later. Maybe after a shot. Heavens, her mouth tasted awful. Momentarily, she longed for the smoothie of greens The Lady always made for her.

                After a while, she felt a little more attached to her body and at least the world had stopped floating and rotating rapidly. Finally she posed the question she'd wanted to since waking, "Why am I blindfolded?"

                Hoteye hummed in concern as she started to reach for her face. "The sun is out." Her hands instantly halted. "We remembered the effects of your powers so I tried to make you comfortable."

                _Am I still dreaming? Hoteye doing something nice for me?_

                Utterly baffled, she said, "Thank you. That's...very sweet."

                He softly hummed again and it sounded like he was nodding. "Such is love," he stated wistfully.

                _Okay, Tiny Midnight, waking up didn't work. Let's try this again._

                Thankfully, her dreams this nap were more realistic and not as confusing as a child speaking in an adult voice. On the down side, they were a tad too realistic. It was one of those observation dreams--it wasn't happening to her so she couldn't try to change it. Scenes of the Thunder Legion and a navy haired woman laughing, joking, playing board games (not at all by the rules), flashed by. Her brother holding children in his arms, gazing at his partner fondly. Laxus in a suit dancing with Mira, who wowed their audience with a glorious white dress.

 

                There was no warmth of the sun this time when she awoke. At least her vertigo had left, and her migraine wasn't as intense. Her body still protested as she stretched and sat up with a huff. Peeling off the thick blindfold allowed her to see the large field of grass she'd slumbered in, illuminated by a waning moon. No one else was around.

                _I must have blindfolded myself in haze and my subconscious tried to fill in the gaps._

                Yeah, that made a lot more sense than Hoteye and Midnight lying next to her, much less remember her at all.

                Nina released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Having only encountered Oración Seis briefly a couple times, though they might not kill her on sight, she wasn't overly confident she would be able to leave another meeting with all of her limbs. Midnight had called her trash, though it hadn't seemed personal. Hoteye would have used her any way he could if he thought there was enough money in it for him. (He had made some mental observations which had her thinking he would try her skills in underground fighting). Racer would kill her for a corn chip, maybe not even a whole one. Angel had dismissed her on sight as completely unimportant. Cobra had tolerated her despite how annoying her thought trails probably were and had even held back a little when he was supposed to "kill" her when their groups were tracking someone.

                Only Brain had shown her any interest but that man had her hackles raised before she even heard or saw him. Just his magical presence was enough to tell her instincts _Get the hell away_. She shuddered involuntarily and rubbed the goosebumps on her arms. If she never saw him again, it would be too soon.

                Footfalls sounded behind her and she wished it was her prey so she could smack him for being so pigheaded. When she turned, however, she saw Hoteye's large form making his way carefully down the slope from the road to where she sat. He beamed broadly when he saw her.

                "How are you feeling now, Miss Red?"

                She rubbed at her face forcefully. _Not a dream. Not a dream._ "I'm much better now," she responded hoarsely.

                He clapped cheerfully. "That's wonderful! I'm sorry to have left you alone, Miss Red; Midnight and I were having dinner with the others. Would you like to join us?"

                The thought of food was entirely unappetizing but it would be rather rude to run off after they'd kept her safe. _Racer would run me over before I got ten feet, anyway._ She nodded and did her best to rise. Joints creaking and muscles straining made it hard work. Then a strong hand steadied her under the arm and held her as she swayed. The bearded man had a comforting smile as he looked down on her.

                "Thank you, Hoteye."

                "Richard," he corrected gently. "It's my real name. Nirvana affected us all and revealed things about ourselves. I learned that living for money wouldn't bring me any closer to finding my brother. If I follow the path of love, perhaps I'll be a worthy man when I meet him again."

                Nina looked him over intently. He held himself confidently, not aloft with pride, and his gaze was soft whereas before, it had been calculating in a way that one could almost see jewel signs popping up. Whatever Nirvana had done to him, there was no trace of Hoteye left except the desire to see his brother again. _What has it done to the others?_

                Leaning on him for support, she greeted, "It's very nice to meet this you, Richard."

                Her guide gently helped her up the hill to the campsite where several people were gathered around a small fire and a stewpot. If she had been confused by Richard, the guests of the Six Demons definitely made her question her sanity. _What remains of it_. Jellal--whose face she only knew because they had met when he had been on the Council--sat hunched in front of the flames with an oddly broody air about him. Next to him was a woman who seemed his polar opposite by the way she laughed with Angel and Racer; even Cobra was chuckling.

                The latter turned as they approached and wryly stated, "It's about time. Another day and you'd give him a run for his position as sleep champion."

                Midnight sighed at being pointed out but chose to continue eating rather than comment.

                "Well, all that beauty rest is doing its job," Angel remarked with a raised eyebrow. "It's almost like you haven't aged a day since the last time I saw you."

                "Miss Vampire!" the bubbly woman addressed, jumping up from her seat. "It's so good to see you awake! I was really worried."

                Nina pictured this woman seven years younger but she still didn't seem familiar."

                "I'm very sorry," she said sympathetically, "but I don't recognize you."

                "Oh," she chuckled nervously, "I suppose it _has_ been a while. I'm Meredy, a member of the newly formed Crime Sorcière," she gestured to the others proudly.

                "Meredy," Nina repeated.

                "Mh-hmm."

                A blink. "From Grimoire Heart?"

                It was Meredy's turn to blink. "You _do_ remember me?!"

                "I remember someone this tall," she raised her hand to indicate a child's height, "named Meredy. I also remember Jellal being on the Council going by Sigrain."

                Racer shook his head. "God, you're so behind. Do you not get _any_ news in Obsidian Phoenix?"

                Richard finished placing a couple coats and a cushion on the ground for Nina to sit on so she gratefully lowered herself onto them.

                "We do," she responded, "I've just been a little out of touch lately." She shifted on the makeshift seat, still a little nervous about her current company. "Nobody told me about the time lag of traveling between the Celestial Spirit World until I got back."

                There was an unintelligible noise and couple open mouths. Angel's eyes were bulging so much it looked painful.

                "You went to the Celestial Spirit World?" she asked, almost reverently.

                Nina nodded. "I helped out a spirit and they took me there for a party as thanks. I stuck around for a while--learning how to cook their food and make their clothes. Only after I was brought back did I find out that Celestial Spirits can travel back and forth easily but for normal people, it takes more energy (I'm sure there's a lot of science to it I don't understand). I had been gone for seven years but only remember a couple weeks."

                "That's awful!" Meredy whispered. "Your guild must have been so worried."

                "They were," she agreed, remembering their faces when she had returned, "but Doranbolt and Lahar were _pissed._ "

                They shared snickers which led to another bout of joking. It was odd how comfortable Nina felt around them. It didn't feel like she was intruding on their time together, an outsider to this tightknit band. In fact, she felt like a guest rather than a vagabond they'd found in a ditch. Meredy offered her some food that she politely declined, ("My stomach doesn't want solid food after using up my magic"). She shocked the Vampire by quietly offering some of her blood; she could put it in a cup if that was more comfortable for her. Again, she declined and the younger woman didn't seem offended when Nina told her she didn't like drinking from people unless they were very familiar or enemies.

                Racer gave her updates he felt she should know: which restaurants had gone out of business during her absence and which were the best replacements, inter guild gossip and who the most annoying members of each were. She found it a little odd that the person who had been in prison the whole time she was gone was the one giving her news, but Racer _did_ love to stay ahead of everyone and he was guild mates with Cobra so who was she to argue? He surprised her even further by telling her what had happened with their guild, with Meredy chipping in about Rusty Rose and his run-in with Tartaros.

                Even Angel was fairly talkative with her. She knew just as much, if not more, gossip than her “brother” and relayed it at a comprehensible speed. Finding out she didn’t use Celestial Spirit Magic anymore came as a shock but not nearly as much as the revelation that she now used Angel Magic.

                Many years ago, one of the dark guilds Nina had been sent to eliminate had an Angel mage. Coincidentally, another member had had information on how to form an Organic Link, information Brain had been desperate to acquire. The fight had been awful, but she remembered the look of awe on Angel’s face as she witnessed the beings she so longed to imitate. Nina’s affinity with blood—which gave her a hazy idea of a person’s health—told her it was anything but pretty. The mage was being devoured by his own powers, bartering away his lifespan for what he thought was pure supremacy. The whole encounter was enough to give Nina pause and take a hard look at how she utilized her own abilities.

               Touching Angel’s arm now, she focused her sight inward. When she pulled back abruptly and blinked in confusion, the other woman was staring at her like she’d grown another head.

               “You’re not dying,” Nina murmured, completely baffled.

               Understanding dawned on Angel’s face. “I got my ass beat by that Fairy Tail ice mage. Green Megablaster, or whatever,” she shrugged. “It doesn’t cost anymore to summon them and I’m free to live the rest of my life how I see fit.”

               Eventually Midnight’s snoring won over the others; they yawned in between laughter and caught themselves dozing during a story. Nina quickly waved off their discussion of who would take what watch. She was fully rested and more than willing to return the favor of them taking care of her. Any ensuing argument was quickly stifled by more yawns. Soon, the members of Crime Sorcière were snuggled together and sleeping soundly.

                _Looks like home._ She watched as Racer elbowed Richard in the back and had to squash her chuckles. _Just like home. What I would give to have Olano’s elbow in my ribcage right now._

               She decided to spend the hours meditating. Her uncle had taught her how to focus her thinking, to _think_ about what she was thinking so her mind didn’t have to be a _constant_ mess. It was still a mess, just not all the time. Being the only one awake around people she still wasn’t sure would kill her or not, away from her family, and chasing after a very annoying previous member of that family, was not the time for anxious, flighty thoughts.

               Eyes closed, she let the night envelop her. A light breeze rustled the grasses and leaves of trees. An owl called somewhere while wildlife scampered through the undergrowth. Her companions breathed deeply, snored, and mumbled incoherently. Taking even breaths, she let her thoughts and feelings fade away so all that remained was her magic…and her hunger. Her thirst didn’t make it difficult to stay in this trance; in fact it aided her in honing in on heartbeats all around her.

               No other humans within their area.

               Using this “mind’s eye” she observed a snake winding its way through the grasses in search of a meal. It was getting close to a prospect when a groan startled her out of her meditative state. She blinked a few times to clear the vertigo.

               Sitting up in the tangle of limbs was Cobra, clutching his head. He shoved his way out of the pile, without any of them stirring, and plopped himself next to Nina. From the squinting and rubbing at his temples, she surmised he had another killer migraine. Quickly, she painted a creek scene in her head, where the only sound was gentle bubbling.

               “You don’t have to do that,” he muttered groggily.

               “Sorry, just don’t want my thoughts screaming at you.”

               Ever since they first met and she discovered he could hear thoughts, she had practiced forming nature scenes in her mind. She hadn’t been very good at it when she was little, or even when she was in her teens; every time she had the picture, her worries would poke through and her serenity would shatter. Having someone hear her thoughts was scary for about two seconds, and then she felt sorry for him. He had flinched when she screamed in annoyance mentally rather than do it aloud so she decided to work to keep her mind as quiet as possible.

                _If I get irritated by the jumble in my brain, how awful is it to hear it from multiple people?_

               “You’ve gotten a lot better at controlling it,” he noted. “It would be really creepy if you could turn your thoughts off; it’d be just like your uncle.”

               Her “uncle”, Dagmar, had been trained in his country how to control his thoughts from a very young age. It was still unclear if it was due to some mysterious magic, or a token that protected from mental invasion, but apparently his was the only mind Cobra couldn’t hear. He had described it, years ago, that it was like being in a crowded hallway with everyone trying to talk over each other. Some people were noisy, some muttered in a strand that was fast, quiet, and indecipherable. Even when people were zoning out, not really thinking about anything, he could still hear something.

               But her uncle.

               “It’s like he’s not even there!” he had whispered to her in a tone bordering horror. “No buzzing, or humming; nothing! It’s creepy.” His little face contorted in disgust had made her laugh.

               To date, he might have been the only one to unnerve Cobra.

               Well, him and one other.

               “I killed him,” he answered her unvoiced question.

               After most recent events, Brain’s death didn’t get any reaction. She nodded. _If not you, then me._ “What’d he do?”

               Cobra clenched a fist as he stared into the fire. “I heard him during Nirvana. He thought we were trash. He told us he could answer our prayers and then thinks he can just throw us away, after all we did for him?” He scoffed. “I wasn’t going to let him use us however he wanted. Not again.”

               “Bitch had it comin’.”

               The serious expression on his face broke at that. He even snorted a laugh.

               “Now that you’re out,” she posed, “are you going to find your best friend?”

               His face fell into a soft sadness. “I did.”

               After a few seconds with no elaboration, she pressed, “Aaaaand?”

               He sighed, “Her name is Kinana.”

               That name tickled something.

               “Wait,” Nina harassed her brain for the answer, “the bartender in Fairy Tail? Purple hair and adorable green eyes?”

               “Yeah,” he said, clearly surprised the out-of-date person knew who he was talking about. Then something occurred to him. “Oh! I forgot she’s your sister’s friend.”

               Nina smiled. “She’s very sweet.” Cobra nodded. “A pretty decent cook, too.” Another nod. He still wouldn’t look at her. “I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose all my memories,” she said not-so-nonchalantly, “much less to have them start coming back after meeting someone with a voice that’s haunted me for years.”

               His sigh was much more agitated now. “What am I supposed to do?” he nearly growled. “Pop over to her house for coffee? Bring her into this crazy group and have her be one of us?”

               “She was part of Fairy Tail,” Nina reasoned softly, “I think she’s used to crazy by now. I could also think of a lot worse fates than hanging with an independent guild set on a path of redemption. At least it would be home.”

               He was silent for a moment before he asked, “If it’s as easy as you say, why haven’t you gone to Laxus for help with this guy you’re after?”

               She grimaced and shifted her shoulders uncomfortably. “Point taken,” she huffed.

               Thinking about it now, she could see why he wouldn’t want to meet with Kinana. He couldn’t be out and about in the city with her; his highly sensitive ears made populated areas a no-no and city folk would undoubtedly recognize the man from his wanted posters and send for the Rune Knights. Even if Kinana came away with him of her own will, people might think she was kidnapped, or worse, had become a partner to his criminal ways. Insecurity probably played a part, too. What if Kinana wanted nothing to do with him when she find out what he was like/what he had done?

               If she had been brave enough to break the Council’s rule of not associating with people from their past, she probably wouldn’t have talked to Laxus anyway for similar reasons.

               Throughout her thought process, Cobra didn’t say a word. He remained pensively watching the logs throw sparks and his family sleeping semi-peacefully. (How soundly could one sleep with Jellal snoring close by?) It had always awed her that he put up with her so much. It’s not as though he could shut her out entirely, but when she was younger she had wondered if he wanted to.

               “No,” he said suddenly, making her jump a little.

               “What?”

               He gave her a distinct look. “I heard that; I’m not nice.”

               Nina shrugged with her hands. “More patient?”

               “Pfft. Please.”

               “Less likely to stab?”

               “Try again.” His arms were crossed and his were closed but there was a small smirk tugging on the corner of his mouth.

               She hummed as she pondered for a moment. “Not as likely to go into a bloodthirsty frenzy?”

               His face when he turned to her was like that of someone trying to be cool at a party whose friend has just said something stupid. “You _do_ remember how many people I’ve killed, right?”

               “Not as many as me,” she replied with a half shrug.

               His expression became unreadable as he focused on her. “Is that why you haven’t tried to contact anyone from Fairy Tail?”

               Not able to meet his gaze, she picked at her nails and forced her mind to picture a tranquil snowy forest. Silence graced them with its presence once again. After sometime, however, she realized how immature ignoring him was. _I wouldn’t even know where to find them._

               “Natsu’s gone off to train. A lot of them left Magnolia, but it wouldn’t be too hard to track them down. Lucy and your sister are still there, though. The little dragon slayer joined Lamia Scale to be with her friend. Your boyfriend and his herd joined Blue Pegasus, and I still don’t know why.”

               “Not my boyfriend~” she softly singsonged with a level of vexation that told how often she heard that.

               “Not your boyfriend yet,” he corrected. “And your brother’s with the Rune Knights.”

               “I don’t have a brother,” she deadpanned.

               He snorted a small laugh. “He’s only there because he can arrest people. That and his cat and girlfriend are there.”

               “That _does_ sound like my brother.” Glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, she thought, _Is there anything you don’t hear?_

               “Not much,” he grinned, though his eyes revealed how tiring that was. “I haven’t exactly had a chance to test the range, but I can’t hear anything from the other continents.”

               “Well, I know where I’m moving, then.”

               “I’d still hear you and your stupid songs. I’m rather surprised I didn’t hear them when you were in the Spirit World.”

               She was about to retort when he winced and pinched the bridge of his nose with a hiss. Normally, she would massage a person’s temples and neck when they had a headache, but that was with her family or very open clients. With his migraines produced by hearing thoughts and everything else, a massage wouldn’t exactly cut it. Still, she wanted to help, so she did the only thing she could. She covered his ears.

               “That’s not really helping,” he groaned.

               Taking her hands away, she apologized, more than a little embarrassed she thought that would work.

               He shook his head slightly. “It’s all right. Most people don’t consider how loud they are so, thanks.”

               “There _is_ something else I could try,” she suggested, “I’m not sure if it would work, though.”

               Scooting closer, she gently took his head—ignoring his, “What are you”—and placed it under her chin. With one ear pressed against her chest and the other ear covered by her hands, all he could hear, hopefully, was her heartbeat.

                _My mother used to hold me under wing. I’d fall asleep to the steady thumps of her giant heart._

                When Cobra took her hands off of him and pulled away, she was horribly annoyed with herself. _I should have_ asked _before touching him._ Just as she opened her mouth to apologize yet again, he shifted his seating, plopped himself back into her arm and positioned her hands where they had been before. It wasn’t long until he was breathing evenly.

                _I can’t believe that worked. He must be exhausted._

                She hummed one of the songs her mother used to sing to her—she kept getting stuck after the second verse so it was a very short loop. Once she was sure he was out, she gingerly tucked him back into the family pile, placing her folded coat over his uncovered ear.

                The rest of the night passed without interruption. Nina alternated between focusing her magic and stargazing. Flopping onto her back after channeling her magic—the little she had left—to stare at the glittering heavens, she hoped her sister was doing well. Ideally, she would be the one Nina would ask for help against a Mimic; or perhaps Dagmar. Disappearing without much word other than, “I’ll be back,” for seven years put a bit of a strain on their relationship. The reunion had been…painful.

                _If I knew helping a Celestial Spirit would cause me that much trouble, I would’ve said, “No, thanks.”_

                In fact, so far this had been the least uncomfortable reunion since her return. The was no way she would ask any of them for help with this after they’d spent so long babysitting her sleeping form. Her brother didn’t even know she existed, or at least hadn’t shown any interest in looking for her, so he was out. Sparky… Maybe calling her uncle wasn’t such a bad idea.

                Ever so slowly, the sky faded into blue and birds chirped while scrounging for bugs in the dewy grass. Nina pulled out her shades as the sun peeked over the horizon. She was going to have to feed soon or this would get really annoying. There were a couple bottles in her supplies, but if she drank them now, the only blood she could manipulate later would be her own. Doable, but painful, and it would mean she’d end up twice as hungry. Better to look like a ghost and suffer the hell ball’s rays jabbing her in the retinas now than pass out again later.

               Self-care is so hard when you’re a vampire.

               Meredy greeted her warmly when she crawled her way out of the tangled limbs and chatted with her quietly. Hot—Richard joined them soon after, then Racer who bemoaned that he wasn’t the first one awake. Jellal rose from his spot several feet away from the others, nodded to Meredy and wandered off into the sunrise.

               “Is he coming back?” Nina whispered to the other woman.

               A solemn mask came on Meredy’s face as she watched him leave. “Yeah,” she responded in a wispy sigh, not even looking at Nina, “he walks the perimeter of our camp every morning. Helps him think.”

               “Is it all right for me to ask about that?” When the other woman nodded, Nina inquired, “I know that he had been manipulated by Grimoire Heart and then got his ass handed to him at the Tower, but he’s way more…” she searched for the right word.

               “Depressing?” Meredy offered.

               “Yeah, when I met him before, he didn’t strike me as the type to be defeated so easily… emotionally, anyway. What happened?”

               She pursed her lips as she gathered her thoughts for a while, her thumbs tapped in her interlaced fingers. “After the Tower,” she finally started, “he was already reeling from the revelation that his powers hadn’t come from Zeref after all. He had thought he was powerful, enough to get whatever he wanted, and he saw then that his only real strength was in torturing and manipulating people, children. He only knew how to use others for his gain. He still has trouble with that, which certainly doesn’t help his self-esteem; he doesn’t feel like he’s gotten any better.

               “When the Council,” she hesitated, biting her lip before carefully phrasing, “was lost, he wanted to get Oración Seis’s help with hunting Zeref. But of course,” she rubbed her forehead in exasperation, “he’s not very good at diplomacy, so they fought.”

               Nina quirked a brow at that. “ _He_ fought _them_?”

               An eye roll. “I know! It was ridiculous! I had to step in and use my Link to get them to stop.”

                _That_ was interesting. “Who did you link?”

               “All of us.” Meredy rubbed the skin on her wrist in memory. “Jellal and I felt what they had in the Tower all those years ago, their hope for Nirvana, their despair in prison, and their determination to never be subjugated again. I let them feel what Jellal had in the Tower, along with his self-hatred for what he’d done, and his longing to at least die a better man.”

               The Vampire leaned closer. “And what feelings did you have?”

               “Regret, for all I did under Master Hades and my hope for a better future. I showed them that we meant them no harm, and that they could join us on the path to redemption. I honestly didn’t know for sure if it would succeed.”

               Nina looked around the campsite, remembering what she knew of their backgrounds. There was so much pain in all of their lives. She hoped, and prayed a little, that the rest of their lives would be better.

               “Is that link why Jellal doesn’t interact at all?”

               Meredy gave a sympathetic grimace. “He had a small understanding of how he had affected the children of the Tower thanks to Erza and, unfortunately, Simon. I’m sure he had thought about it in prison, but truly experiencing their suffering through the link is so much more. He abused them, and even he himself knows he doesn’t have the right to be near them after what he did, but he also wants to pay them back. Some would say that’s an impossible task, but he’s set his mind on helping them regain their freedom and letting them redeem themselves. Also, he has no idea, really, how to be a better person and who better to keep him in check when he’s being a jerk than those he’s already hurt?”

               “I am really surprised they’ve stayed with them,” Nina thought aloud.

               “We don’t stay for him,” Racer chimed in. Nina didn’t know they were speaking loudly enough to be heard over Midnight’s snores. She almost made a remark about him being nosy but restrained herself.

               Cocking her head in his direction, Red queried, “Then why _do_ you stay?”

               “For Miss Meredy, of course,” Richard answered.

               Racer grumbled about being cut off but seconded his brother’s sentiment by saying, “Jellal just happens to be with her too.” A shrug. “He’s getting better, but he sucks at being a good guy. Then again,” he tilted his head, “so do we, I guess.”

 

               It was about noon when everyone was finally awake and Jellal had returned from his constitutional. Nina hadn’t meant to remain with them for so long, but she also hadn’t anticipated enjoying their company as much as she did. She had started to bid farewell but Meredy practically ordered her to stay with them for lunch. While the “siblings” bickered amiably, Nina did her best to stomach the broth she’d been given.

               “Where will you go now?”

               Jellal’s voice startled her. It had been soft enough for the others to keep up their banter, except for Cobra whose eyes flashed in their direction. There were bags under his eyes and a substantial amount of gray at his temples. He looked far older than the years would have normally allowed.

               “I was following one of my former guild mates when I passed out. He still needs to be dealt with.”

               The man hugged his knees to his chest—an odd motion for someone his age—and leaned closer. “What did he do that you have to deal with him?”

               Lightly stabbing the center of the bowl with her spoon, she whisper-snarled, “He killed people with _my_ magic. Not to protect those in immediate danger, but because he thinks that killing dark guilds will make them disappear forever. I don’t care about his beliefs, but if he’s going to act on them, he shouldn’t pretend to be somebody else.”

               “Is he a Mimic?”

               She nodded. “I’m glad I wasn’t more trusting of him so he doesn’t know all my tricks.”

               “Still,” he considered, playing with a loose thread on his cloak, “it can’t be easy going after one of your own, at least by yourself.”

               “I have people I can ask for help. I just hope nobody from the Rune Knights or major guilds tries to go after him. I’d rather not have to fight them _and_ him, or get arrested,” she added with a scowl.

               “You won’t,” Cobra enigmatically assured between bites.

               Jellal shifted and tugged on the edges of his cloak. Not meeting the slayer’s eyes, he hesitantly said, “If this mage is one causing the damage we’ve heard about, it would only be natural for Miss Redfox to encounter others seeking to end his terrorism.”

               The poison master fixed the man with a flat gaze Jellal refused to meet. “She won’t,” he repeated emphatically.

               Pointing at Cobra with her spoon, Nina joked, “Didn’t know giving up that eye let you hear the future.”

               He rolled his eyes. “I heard a meeting that went down while you were sleeping. The Rune Knights and mage guilds agreed to back off of Mesh. Nobody outside of them is thinking about fighting him, either. Any criminals that escaped his grasp are hunkering down.”

               “I could understand the Rune Knights not wanting to get involved; they’re having enough time getting on their feet as it is.” Nina took another swallow of broth, holding the spoon in her mouth and scrunching her brows together as she thought. “The mages must have their hands full with requests or something. I doubt they’d leave this sort of thing alone.”

               Cobra smirked. “They decided it’s an Obsidian Phoenix problem.”

                _I hate when you reveal things in snippets._

               “What did Roger do now?” Nina sighed in resignation, setting her bowl on the ground before her. Her guild master had been humoring the idea of introducing themselves to legitimate guilds and offering their services. He wouldn’t have hesitated to do so if he felt Nina might get hurt or into trouble while hunting.

               “The fight with Plastar was witnessed so Roger decided to introduce your guild. The masters then called the meeting.”

               Nina’s brows scrunched again. “What does a fight with splooge man have to do with me going after Mesh?”

               “Right,” Cobra’s smirk disappeared as he realized, “you were using _that_ so you don’t remember.”

               Vampire’s face turned another shade whiter. “Who did I hurt?”

               The others had tuned into the conversation as it grew increasingly serious. Nina did her best to control her breathing and her mind racing through worst case scenarios. She must have looked bad because Jellal and Meredy each put a comforting hand on her.

               “Nobody was hurt other than ‘splooge man’,” Cobra said with a shake of his head. “You _were_ seen, though, so Roger felt the need to give your backstory.”

               Still slightly uncomfortable, Nina asked quietly, “Who saw?”

               “The Sabertooth twins and the Thunder Thots.”

               Nina covered her face in her hands and hunched over. She didn’t kid herself into thinking she would have been able to meet the twin dragons on good terms, but asking them for an autograph while wearing every piece of Sabertooth fan merchandise possible would be less horrifying—for them and for her. Never ever did she want Laxus to see her that way. _I’m definitely not going anywhere near Blue Pegasus now_.

               “But they won’t be coming after you, right?” Meredy attempted to cheer her up. “You won’t have to worry about using your darker magic.”

                _Even if I beat Mesh, it doesn’t mean my guild is safe._

               “Actually,” Cobra responded to her thoughts again, “in the meeting, they declared Obsidian Phoenix an independent guild. Some are even considering taking Roger’s offer of help with requests.”

               Angel clapped her hands. “It’ll be like before but now people can know you! You’re like us now!”

               “People knowing who I am will be weird.”

               “You can always join us, if you like,” Meredy suggested with a smile. The rest of Crime Sorcière mirrored her cheer in varying degrees. “If not permanently, you can at least visit us.”

               “Yes,” Angel concurred, “I need more girl time.”

               Nina grinned back at the group she realized was very similar to her own family.

               “I might just take you up on that. But first, I have to deal with a poser.”

 

 

               It was a gorgeous day, far too lovely to spend inside. The sun was playing hide-and-seek behind fluffy clouds and a light breeze kept the heat of its rays bearable. Bees and hummingbirds flitted around the flowers while songbirds cooed and chirped in high branches. Children squealed and chased each other as their mothers gossiped on benches nearby.

               Coming to the park had been an excellent idea, Lucy decided. She had come with the excuse of the weather and that, perhaps, a change of scenery would release her from the clutches of writer’s block. Now that she was here, however, her notepad sat blank with the exception of a single sentence at the top. Things she wouldn’t have noticed normally were now wonderful distractions.

               Truthfully, she was there to escape the empty apartment. She refused to let herself wallow and it was too tempting to do so at her lonely desk. Her Spirits were becoming increasingly worried about her; she could tell, even if they didn’t voice it. Even her landlady had taken to giving suggestions of activities around town.

               Not all of her friends were gone, thankfully, but it was difficult to plan any outings with their busy schedules. Levy sent her notes every once in a while and on very rare occasions they’d get together  for a drink after her hand couldn’t physically take anymore paperwork that day. Wendy and Carla visited when they weren’t on a quest. Kinana had been hired at a tavern nearby so Lucy sat with her on her off hours. Yukino came around when she wasn’t on a job and managed to pry herself away from the twins. The days that all the Celestial Spirit mages could meet were very precious. Their company, however sporadic, was always welcome, but it wasn’t the same.

               Sometimes, when she felt well and truly housebound, she was tempted to ask the Thunder Legion if she could join them, even if it was one mission. It could be awkward, but they were still family. The dynamic of the group was obviously different from Team Natsu, but from what she had observed, they could be nearly as rambunctious. With the amount of experience they had, maybe they wouldn’t have to pay as much for damages out of the reward money. Right when the trail of thinking got fairly serious, she would shake herself out of it.

               Going to them would require walking into Blue Pegasus and there was no _way_ she would do that to herself. Besides, she had her novel to work on…do the planning on…procrastinate on. Yeah.

               After what felt like fifteen minutes and an hour at the same time, Lucy blew a raspberry-like sigh at her lack of progress. Brushing off the seat of her skirt, she was about to head back home when she noticed someone walking straight towards her.

               Magnolia certainly had an amazing assortment of people but the vibe of this person was different from the townsfolk. The figure was wearing a twin-tailed, dark brown leather coat, and boots similar to her own. Loose baby blue trousers were tucked into the boots and were topped by a light pink blouse equally as flowy. As they came closer, Lucy noticed a belt at their waist with bottles held in loops. Shades covered their eyes and matched the short-cropped jet black hair.

               The only reason this outfit caught her attention was due in part to how the person held themself. Most of the people in town wandered semi-aimlessly as they simply enjoyed being outside, or hurried to whatever destination they were late reaching. The mage walking towards her, she was sure that’s what they were, with a confidence that reminded her of some of the stronger mages she’d met. It was a rather intense gait and made her wonder if she should form a defensive stance. She wasn’t the only one affected by the odd air this stranger gave off; the children scooted out of the way and some gaped as they passed.

               Finally, they stopped in front of her, thankfully at a safe distance. She could see now an impressive number of piercings dotted their face and ears; not quite as many as Gajeel or some dark guild members she’d fought before. Still, the jewelry –which appeared to be silver, gold, and was that ivory?—complimented what features were visible, especially when they gave a gentle smile.

               “Miss Heartfilia?”

               “Y-yes, that’s me. And you are?”

               A bow was bestowed upon her, a very strange one at that. One foot was slightly in front of the other, body bent at the waist with arms out to their respective sides with the palms facing her. A blade glinted at the hip of her greeter and Lucy wondered if this gesture was meant to show they were no threat.

               “Most know me by titles you would likely find unsettling. My name is Nina but if calling me that seems too personal, having just met, Red also works.”

               Lucy blinked as the pieces fell into place. “The mage from Obsidian Phoenix?”

               Nina’s rise from her bow was jerkier than intended. “News certainly travels fast in your family,” she stated, sounding taken aback.

               The blonde examined the other woman more closely. “I have to admit, you’re not what I was expecting when I learned about your guild.”

               “Thanks?” Red awkwardly fussed with her hair and averted her gaze. “I’m not sure what all you know—I’m sure you have plenty of questions—but do you mind if we cut into my tragic backstory later? I’m sort of on a deadline and I need your help.”

               “Mine?” She _had_ been about to unload her inquiries but now the only one on her mind was: What could a former Council secret agent possibly need _her_ help with?

               “Yes.” Glancing around at the children who still watched them curiously, she asked, “May I sit with you?”

“Oh, sure.”

               Lucy returned to her original position in the grass, setting her half-forgotten notebook back in her lap, as Nina carefully placed herself in a patch of sunlight.

               Keeping her voice low even though there wasn’t anyone that seemed to be eavesdropping, the Vampire explained, “I’m after someone from my guild who’s been hurting a lot of people.”

               “The one who’s been pretending to be you to take out dark guilds,” Lucy nodded.

               Again, the shaded woman seemed mildly perturbed by the amount of knowledge the Celestial mage had. He mouth opened and moved like she was about to say things but no sound exited. Eventually, she was able to confirm, “He’s a Mimic, which can be rather vulnerable to Celestial Spirit mages. I was wondering if you’d be willing to help me stop him.”

               With a resolute nod, Lucy vowed, “I’ll help you.”

               Blink. “Seriously?”

               “Mh-hmm.”

               “Why?” she wondered incredulously.

               “You were Laxus’s friend, weren’t you?”

               Nina’s mouth became a hard line. “’Were’ being the key word there.”

               “Even if you don’t have the guild mark, you’re still like family. And at Fairy Tail, we always help our family,” she smiled warmly.

               The forced breath out of Nina made her shoulders droop like all the tension was gone. “This was way easier than I thought it would be.”

               “We haven’t beaten him _yet_ ,” Lucy pointed out.

               “True,” she nodded, “but I have some ideas for that.”

 

               Lucy had seen her fair share of rough fights but this seemed to be a whole new level. It wasn’t as destructive as Natsu’s but every bit as violent. There was clearly no love lost between the pair from Obsidian Phoenix as they smashed into each other without holding back. The Vampire had long since had her sunglasses smashed and now glared daggers at her prey with glowing red eyes. Mesh tried to explain his reasoning for the murders he’d committed and resorted to name-calling the women when Nina scathingly remarked ho foolish his “logic” was.

               “Magekiller’s people have the right idea,” he sneered at them after taking a couple harsh blows from Aries and the Vampire. “Magic is a disease that taints even the best of hearts. The world would be a better place—a safer place—without it.”

               This was the perfect time to assess the Vampire’s magic for herself, especially with Mesh copying it—if somewhat amateurishly. On a basic level, the blood manipulation was similar to Juvia’s magic, though thicker and gross. One technique, Bloody Needle, hardened the blood into spikes that reminded her of Gray, especially when the pair had them jutting out from their elbows. They both had a sort of bone armor she didn’t quite comprehend—every time a bit of it cracked, blood would fill in the gap and turn to bone. Aries’s attacks weren’t doing much good against it so she closed that gate and opened Loke’s instead.

               The light attacks from the Lion Spirit sliced right through Mesh’s armor and evidently nullified its ability to regenerate wherever it was hit. A small twitch of Mesh’s eyebrows and an almost imperceptible grimace on his face caused Lucy to cheer internally. Things were starting to look in their favor.

               “Enough of this!” He yelled, throwing out a bit of magical power. “Face the fact that you will not stop me!”

               At this, the remainder of his bone armor splashed to the floor in crimson rain and his skin shifted into steel. He gave a confident huff and threw up his arms. Steel pillars shot up under Loke and Nina, who, thankfully, managed to leap off before the columns smashed into the ceiling of the abandoned warehouse they were in. Discs of sharp metal were flung at them next, some cracking Red’s armor and clipping Lucy in the arm even as she hid behind some reinforced crates. Loke was blocking and dodging best as he could but she could feel he wouldn’t last longer.

               Time to switch gears.

               Closing his gate with a compliment on his hard work, she summoned Virgo next. The maid set to crushing any steel beams Mesh summoned as Nina continued to pummel him with attacks. The “Bloody Needle” attacks she had used now looked stringier, and split into different ends, making it the facsimile of a spider’s web. Eventually, Mesh was coated in the sticky substance and with one last attack, Nina managed to “lasso” him and shotput him toward Virgo’s waiting foot. Even his hardened form was no match for such a deadly maneuver, Lucy thought and instantly chided herself for cheering too quickly as he picked himself up with ease.

               Fortunately, the Vampire was more familiar with their opponent’s hardiness and was already moving. With incredible strength and agility, she nimbly leapt from one storage structure to the next until she was to her desired height, and yanked Mesh up towards the ceiling. Launching herself into the air, she somehow swung him in an arc and slammed him into the ground, with a rumble and cracks sprouting around the area he impacted. Nina landed in a forced roll to avoid breaking her ankle. Lucy could tell her reserves were running low.

               This had better end quickly.

               Frustrated growls emanated from the pit and Mesh pushed and jerked his way to his feet. His metal coating was tarnished in some places, flaking off in others. A faint trickle of blood dripped from his brow.

               Despite how magically weakened Nina felt to Lucy, she stared down the man with an attitude bordering on cocky. “Know when you’re caught, _Meshie_ ,” she taunted.

               “Caught‽” he barked a laugh. “At most you’ve delayed me, but now I think I’ll be on my way.” As he spoke, the metallic skin dropped away entirely and his body began disappearing from the feet up. A thick fog coalesced around him as he mock saluted. “Do give Magekiller my best, will you?”

               Virgo rushed forward, kicked his head, and passed through his still-smirking face. A ghostly laugh issued from the mist as it passed them to get to the exit. The maid chucked one of Mesh’s steel pillars in the direction of the door, blocking the way out and forcing the cloud to head towards one of the windows. His laughter cut short as a sand wall cut off his escape.

               “Yeah!” Scorpio and Lucy hurrahed in unison.

               A resounding hiss from the cloud. “Fine, I guess I’ll have to use you.”

               His form converged around Nina, then entered her nose and mouth. She choked, gagged, and attempted to cough him out to no avail. Her eyes watered from the effort and with blurred focus, turned to where the Celestial mage was. Gave a beckoning wave. Nodded when Lucy asked if she was sure.

               “Do it, Scorpio!”

               Her spirit nodded and released a wave of sand at the intermingled pair. Mesh wailed as part of his form separated from the rest, blown away in the gritty whirlwind. What part of him had entered Nina rushed out to join the rest of him and she gasped greedily. The sand continued to pelt him, blowing his flighty body this way and that.

               “You think you can best _me_ ‽” he roared. “I’ll have to wash away your sinful pride, mages!”

               A strong gushing sound preceded a geyser shooting at them, knocking them off their feet and flushing them smack into the opposite wall, bringing some crates along with them. Mesh moved towards them with ease. Half his body was one with the liquid, his upper half dripped oddly. It was reminiscent of seeing a face in a waterfall.

               “You have proven yourselves skillful in the elements, but not as masterful as I; unless you happen to have a water spirit that can control me like this?”

               Lucy and Scorpio shared a sorrowful look before she closed his and Virgo’s gates. She glanced at Red beside her who nodded decisively. Pulling out another gold key, she locked her gaze with Mesh’s.

               “I can’t control water like you can,” she admitted, “but we’ll still defeat you. No element is stronger than another; they each have their own weaknesses. Gate of the Twins, I open thee!” Gemi and Mini appeared in a flash of light. “Show ‘im what you got!”

               Another flash had Cana standing where they had hovered. With a wink, she threw a number of cards to surround Mesh, one passing through his face. He jeered at the “attack”, summoning more water to himself as he prepared for a powerful retort. Nina wrapped an arm around Lucy, who grabbed on tightly, shot towards the ceiling and clung to it with some sort of bloody weave that formed a light net around them both. Below, magic surged from the cards and blasted the faux water entity with electricity.

               His howl of pain quickly morphed to one of rage. “No! I will not be finished here! I’m not done!” Metal once again covered his skin as he bellowed, “No more games. Now, you’ll die!”

               Serrated metal rings sliced through the makeshift net, causing the women to drop. Red took the brunt of the fall, shielding Lucy with her body. The groaned and scrambled to their feet as he bull rushed them. His fist came down toward Lucy’s head.

               Perhaps it was because Mesh was weakened or Nina was truly the stronger one, but metal met bone with a reverberant boom. Fractures lined from Nina’s fist up to her elbow. Bone flakes clacked across the floor. Mesh smirked at his former guild mate as they held their position—fist to fist—waiting to see who flinched first. Heaving breaths nearly in stereo, Nina looked to be the rougher of the two. Then a slow smile crept on her lips.

               Mesh’s eyebrows momentarily scrunched in confusion then his face contorted in pain. Fissures split from his curled fingers, steel chips falling like snow. He stepped back, cradling his arm.

               “How?” he whispered.

Nina flexed her fingers as blood seeped into the broken parts and hardened. “There are things you just can’t copy, Mesh. Experience and the power of friendship.”

               He seethed and rallied himself, only to be Lucy-kicked into unconsciousness. When he didn’t make any moves to stand, the women heaved a sigh.

               The Celestial mage congratulated Gemi and Mini on their efforts and thanked them before sending them home. As she did this, she heard Nina muttering an incantation under her breath. It wasn’t a language she understood, but the tones sounded awfully familiar. Another blood net creeped its way around Mesh’s body as the Vampire spoke, then, as she interlocked her fingers, that resembled claws, and finished the spell, the blood shifted to bone. It was a rather gruesome sight for the sleeping man to be encased in a rib-like cage.

               “What was that?”

               Nina shrugged. “Didn’t want to take any chances. I used his own blood to make it so he can’t mist away again.”

               “I meant the spell. It didn’t sound like something spoken around here.”

               “Oh,” the Vampire blushed lightly, “yeah. My teacher wasn’t from around here. I only know the incantations for my magic in Draconic.”

               No wonder she recognized it. She had heard Natsu and Gajeel use it from time to time, usually when they were frustrated or saying something snarky when they didn’t want to be beaten by Erza. Wendy occasionally cursed in it when she was out of the other dragon slayers’ earshot. (She assumed it was cursing by the almost vehement tone the words took.)

               “Are you going to take him back to your guild?”

               With a pensive expression, Nina heaved a breath out of her nose. “Nah. He always hated what we were, what we did. I mean, none of us _wanted_ to be there but he complained about it the most; refused to be part of the family. If there’s anything left unsaid, we’ll visit him in prison.”

               Lucy nodded, slightly disheartened that Mesh hadn’t seen the error in his ways and turned back to his guild. There was still time, she supposed.

               “How about we find some city guards to take him to the Rune Knights, then grab a bite while we introduce ourselves like normal people?”

               Smiling through exhaustion, the Vampire responded, “That sounds amazing.”

 

               Warm mugs and good food on the table between them, the pair recuperated in plush booths. The air of the tavern around them was lively in a favorable sense and allowed the pair to relax in fatigued silence. Lucy felt a little odd to be only one eating, but the other woman had looked a little queasy when the steaming plates were placed before them. The Vampire contented herself with people watching—her bright red eyes sparkling—her chin resting in her palm.

               A significant amount of time passed—enough for the plates to be cleared away and the mugs to be sadly void of liquid—before Lucy finally asked, “Do we need to go somewhere so you can…feed?”

               Nina didn’t change her position but snapped her gaze in Lucy’s direction. “No, I have some stuff on me,” she patted the bottles on her belt. (It seemed a little unsanitary to Lucy to keep the blood she’d used to fight.) “I’m just used to drinking around my family or during combat. It tends to make normal folk disquieted, even if it’s from a bottle.”

               Lucy thumbed the rim of her mug as she considered for a moment. “I won’t watch, if that makes it easier on you. You need to…eat; your reserves are nearly depleted.”

               An eyebrow quirked. “You sure?” When Lucy waved in acceptance, she popped the lid off one of the bottles and took a delicate sip, placing the black glass container before her. Both her hands held the glass as if to hide it, her shoulders tense like she was preparing an explanation to a nosy customer. Softly, and not meeting the other woman’s eyes, she said, “Thank you.”

               The sight caused a twinge in the Fairy Tail mage. How long had she been kept away from people outside of her guild? Did she fear people coming after her with torches?

               A sudden comparison came to mind and she couldn’t shake it. The woman sitting in the opposite booth probably suffered similar ridicule to what the Strauss family had. Specifics of the Thunder God Tribe’s backgrounds had never been shared with her, but she could imagine the scorn they’d received was comparable. Whatever her own misgivings, she wouldn’t be another person to turn up her nose at someone for their magic.

               To assuage some of her own anxiety, she decided to focus on particulars. “How much do you need in a day? Is it an endless hunger thing?”

               Snort. “Good food will always smell good, even when you’re not hungry. I suppose I’m similar to people who—no matter the time of day or how much they’d eaten in the last hour—can always eat.” A shrug. “In the same way that a normal person wouldn’t eat cake for every meal, (maybe a little bit each day if they were so inclined,) I have a glass a day, usually. The craving grows the more I use my magic until everything solid makes me wanna retch. Normally, I don’t let the craving get this bad but…” she ran her fingers up and down the length of her glass, “the _form_ I used that your friends saw is extremely taxing.”

               The blonde leaned forward on her elbows, curious. “What is that form? What are the benefits if it drains you so much?”

               A half shrug. “Something I learned—activated, really—thanks to my experimenters. I get cool wings, a tail, and longer fangs. It’s not so bad at first, but the longer I use it and ‘go all out’, my mind becomes baser until all that’s left is the hunt. Mesh needs to see someone use their magic and hear the incantation in order to copy it, and since I’d never used it in front of him, I thought I’d scare him with it. I can already track people if I have a taste of their blood, but there are distractions. With a mind more beast-like, it’s far easier to stay pinpointed on one scent.”

               “After hearing about it, I admit I was a little worried to find you outside my apartment window.”

               Both hands came up in a placating gesture. “I think the longest I’ve been able to hold that was a day and a half, then I passed out for a week. Even if I had found you, I’m not so sure I would have hurt you.” She ducked her head a bit. “There’s a Celestial mage that’s very dear to me. You smell a bit like her.”

               Cocking her head she asked with interest, “Not to say I’m not flattered you came to me, but why didn’t you ask your friend for help?”

               “I went away for a long time,” she said, ashamed, “not entirely of my own volition, but…still. She feels righteously betrayed and we’ve only just begun to patch that wound. I felt it was too soon to start asking favors.”

               “What about your family?”

               “I _was_ tempted to bring my uncle along but he’s working on something else right now. The others probably wouldn’t have left Mesh the way we did. He betrayed us all by playing vigilante even before the Grand Magic Games. The Council was getting suspicious and was most likely preparing to declare us a dark guild again.”

               “Can I get you two anything else?” a chipper voice saved them from what could have been a depressing or awkward moment.

               “It’s your shift already? I didn’t realize it how late it was. The usual for me, please, Kinana.”

               Red eyes widened at the newcomer. As the waitress turned toward Nina, she froze, mouth agape. The two women gawked at each other in silence as Lucy looked on in bewilderment.

               “I know you,” Kinana finally murmured, sounding like she was still in a reverie. “You were…” she searched Nina’s face for the answer.

               “The Vampire,” Lucy helped her, but her friend paid her no mind.

               “…helping Erik, before Nirvana.”

               A soft expression took over Nina’s face. “It’s nice to see you again, Kinana. You look well. How’s your head?”

               “It feels better when I remember things.” She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “It’s like having a million things on the tip of my tongue all the time. Seeing your eyes shook some loose.” Her dream state subsided, she inspected the woman from her past. “Where did you get those clothes? They look nothing like what you normally wear.”

               “Oh, yeah.” Nina picked at the blouse. “My other stuff was really dirty so Angel gave me this and Meredy gave me the pants. It was all they had that could cover my freaky, blood-deprived skin.”

               Those names had Lucy’s attention. “You saw them?”

               She shrugged. “More like they found me in a ditch and took care of me.”

               Kinana leaned into Nina’s space with both hands on the table. “My brother,” she questioned, staring intently into those red eyes, “was he there? The others?”

               A few moments passed before she gave a small nod. “They’re okay. He’s as safe as he can be right now.”

               Sighing like an enormous weight was taken from her, the purple-haired woman straightened. “Thank you,” she breathed sincerely. “That’s a relief.” Another day dream threatened to take hold of her before she shook free. “I’ll be right back with that smoothie!”

               Lucy knew they would have a _lot_ to discuss on their next girl’s night. Old memories also reminded her of some details Freed put in his letter discussing Obsidian Phoenix.

               “What will you do now?”

               Nina chewed her lip before replying, “Probably odd jobs here and there. It’s what I did before. Helping people recover stolen mementos, finding lost or kidnapped family members the city guards had given up on. Maybe help the mage guilds if they trust me enough.”

               “You could go to Blue Pegasus,” she suggested.

               Nina made the face edging on disgust she herself would undoubtedly make if someone made her the same proposition. “Someone else told me that, too. Still not sure why I should.”

               Having encountered many of the guild’s members, she did feel a little bad for recommending it, but maybe it would give Red much needed socialization. “They’re good people. They certainly take pride in their guild. You could reconnect with Laxus, meet some more of Fairy Tail.”

               “Maybe,” she sighed tiredly.

               As she was about to say more, Kinana reappeared with _two_ glasses. Lucy thanked her and happily began slurping the strawberry-banana goodness through the straw. The Vampire’s smoothie was noticeably greener.

               Sternly, but with compassion, Kinana pressed, “You really need to stop pushing yourself so hard.” Only when Nina nodded solemnly was she satisfied to leave them again.

               Dutifully gulping her greens, the Phoenix member explained, “I guess I don’t want to go to Pegasus believing Laxus and I will be best friends again. We played together as children and talked about tough things, but we were very different people then. After seeing what I can become, I rather doubt he’s holding his breath until he sees me again.”

               “He must feel something,” Lucy smiled. “He’s held onto your bracelet these past few days.” She watched as Nina rubbed her wrist where it had rested. “I know it would mean a lot to him to see that you’re all right, at least.”

               The Vampire thought it over a while before nodding. “But I’m going to need some serious mental preparation before I go to that place and maybe,” she slid a communication lacrima across the table, “someone to _conveniently_ call me away.”

               “No problem,” Lucy chuckled, pocketing the lacrima. “To family,” she toasted.

               The returning grin was large enough to show a pair of sharp canines (and was incredibly stunning). “Old and new.”

**Author's Note:**

> It only took a few hundred years but I finally managed another chapter! :D   
> Please, Mashima, can we have some Jellal character development?? And more interaction where he DOESN'T look off and think of Erza oh my gA---  
> Also, Mashima, MORE CRIME SORCIERE.  
> If you don't think Oracion Seis/Crime Sorciere is a family, you can fight me behind Denny's.   
> I'm still angry about how much is Brain's fault. He and Zeref are the worst people here. 10/10 would kill Brain again.   
> Definitely will think of better villain names and magic next time. XD


End file.
